REVIEW: Gay Club! by Simon James Green

Pages: 432

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Scholastic
Genre:  Contemporary
Release Date: May 5th 2022

Buy the Book: Bear Hunt Books

Barney's a shoo-in for his school's LGBTQ+ Society President at the club's next election. But when the vote is opened up to the entire student body, the whole school starts paying attention. How low will the candidates go to win? Buckle up for some serious shade, scandals and sleazy shenanigans. It isn't long before it's National Coming Out Day - for everyone's secrets!

But when the group faces an expected threat - and a big opportunity - can the club members put politics aside and stand united?

Simon James Green is the award-winning author of a number of beloved LGBTQ+ YA novels, including NOAH CAN'T EVEN, HEARTBREAK BOYS and YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT. Perfect for fans of GLEE, HEARTSTOPPER, and BOYFRIEND MATERIAL

Me, here to yell about how much I love the latest Simon James Green novel? Shocking, I know. As someone who is always screaming from the rooftops about how much I adore Simon’s novels, it’s a surprise to absolutely no one that Gay Club! was one of my most anticipated stories of the year. I immediately dropped everything once my copy popped through the letterbox. 

The concept of having a race for the president of an LGBTQ+ society was something that drew me in as soon as I read the blurb, especially since I’m constantly searching for stories that openly discuss the wide range of sexuality and gender labels. Gay Club! gave me everything I was looking for and more.

Our main character, Barney, is the definition of a cinnamon roll. I admired his determination to make everyone feel part of something, and his speeches throughout the story completely warmed my heart. The back and forth between Barney’s competitor, Bronte, and one of his best friends, Maya, provided the lovers-to-enemies-to-reluctantly-working-together trope that I needed. Bronte and Barney’s race for president lead the humour-filled drama in the first half of the story.

Danny Orlando was a particular favourite character of mine. As the popular footballer in the school, I adored his more complicated journey throughout the story and felt so proud of him by the final chapter. He’s a perfect example of how confusing it is to figure out who you are and what you stand for.

• TWISTS AND TURNS. When I say I couldn’t predict a single thing in this story, I mean it! I genuinely had no idea what wild and hilarious event would occur next.

• CHARACTERS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH. These characters are going to stay with me for a long time. It’s impossible not to love their friendship group. Where’s my squad who cooks food for each other during weekly movie nights?

• IMPORTANT MOMENTS. Whilst Gay Club! is filled with the comedy writing we’ve come to expect from Simon, there are scenes that provide a harsh reminder of how far we still have go when it comes to acceptance. There’s a particular scene during a game of football that broke my heart because it’s all too real for so many young queer people.

I can’t stress enough how important stories like this one are in helping young people to feel like they belong. My expectations were high, and yet it still managed to go above and beyond! With such a fun cast of characters and packed full of inspiring messages, Gay Club! is easily my favourite read of the year so far.

Royal Rating:

 

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REVIEW: Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard

Pages: 322
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Genre: Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
Release Date: February 25th 2016
Buy The Book: Amazon UK

I was brave
She was reckless
We were trouble

Best friends Caddy and Rosie are inseparable. Their differences have brought them closer, but as she turns sixteen Caddy begins to wish she could be a bit more like Rosie – confident, funny and interesting. Then Suzanne comes into their lives: beautiful, damaged, exciting and mysterious, and things get a whole lot more complicated. As Suzanne’s past is revealed and her present begins to unravel, Caddy begins to see how much fun a little trouble can be. But the course of both friendship and recovery is rougher than either girl realises, and Caddy is about to learn that downward spirals have a momentum of their own.  

My Thoughts:
I feel like I’ve been waiting to read a story like this one for a while. A YA novel that is purely focused on the importance of platonic female friendships. I was already majorly excited before I even turned to the first page. 

This story follows protagonist Caddy as she approaches the age of sixteen. At the start of the book she talks about how she feels to be reaching this age without having experienced any Significant Life Events. (Something I remember thinking about a lot at that age, so I was relating to Caddy merely six pages in!) So she wants to do something exciting, she wants some sort of turning point to happen in her life. Little does she know she’s about to get just that, only not in the way she ever expected. 

She and her best friend Rosie go to separate schools. Rosie is in a mixed high school; Caddy attends a private all-girls school. Despite this, they’ve managed to remain the very best of friends throughout the years. Then Suzanne arrives as a new girl at Rosie’s school and the friendship dynamics soon begin to change. Caddy fears that her and Rosie’s friendship may begin to drift apart as Rosie spends more and more time with Suzanne. But as the story progresses, Caddy discovers more about Suzanne’s past, and the pair begin to bond. 

The characters in this book are so beautifully written and utterly believable. I adored the contrast between Caddy and Suzanne, both having completely different upbringings and home lives. The dialogue between the girls was great; funny at times, but heartfelt when it needed to be. I highly enjoyed the night-time conversations between the two of them. 

The plot was perfectly paced and never rushed over any details. I enjoyed slowly discovering more about Suzanne’s past as the story progressed and seeing how it affected her in different ways. Whilst this particular story is fictional, there are all too many teenagers that have suffered the same situations as Suzanne, and this book touched upon them sensitively but without sugar-coating anything. That is one of the reasons why this is such an important YA story. 

As much as I wanted things to work out happily, I knew that trouble was brewing. Suzanne is dealing with a lot of problems that Caddy doesn’t fully understand, and whilst she tries to help Suzanne through it to the best of her ability, sometimes she’s not aware of what is best for her friend. Seeing Caddy’s willingness to defend and protect Suzanne was touching and demonstrated just how important friendships can be. This is one of those rare novels that shows how romantic relationships during teen years are fleeting, but friends are there to see you through not just the fun times, but the painfully hard times as well. These are characters that stay with you long after putting this book down.

Special thanks to Maximum Pop! Books for sending out a copy of the book! Discover what more readers had to say here.

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REVIEW: The Island by Olivia Levez

Pages: 288
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Rock The Boat
Release Date: March 3rd 2016
Buy The Book: Amazon UK

Frances is alone on a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. She has to find water and food. She has to survive. And when she is there she also thinks about the past. The things that she did before. The things that made her a monster. Nothing is easy. Survival is hard and so is being honest about the past. Frances is a survivor however, and with the help of the only other crash survivor, she sees that the future is worth fighting for.

The Island is a gripping and thoughtful story about a girl who didn’t ask to be the person she is but is also determined to make herself the person she wants to be.

My Thoughts:
This book is everything I’ve been searching for in a story. It truly is. I could not stop reading. Already I’m finding it difficult to put my thoughts into a review because I JUST WANT TO WRITE EVERYTHING IN CAPITALS, THAT’S HOW EXCITED I AM ABOUT THIS BOOK.

The Island starts with Frances on a plane journey to work abroad as part of a scheme she is required to take part in after committing a crime. When the journey goes terribly wrong, Frances never reaches her intended destination. Instead she ends up deserted on an island and struggling to survive. 

I’ll be totally honest; at first, I wasn’t too sure whether this book was for me. The writing style was quite different to what I’m used to, and I wasn’t really connecting with Frances. But that quickly changed. Before I knew it, I couldn’t put it down. This book is seriously addictive. 

It didn't take long for me to start adoring Frances. She’s feisty, she has an attitude, and she’s at war with her own past. The book tells her story by switching from present day to the events that already have happened, showing us what led to Fran being in her current situation. The author is wonderful at writing from the perspective of a troubled teenager, and it allowed me to sympathise with Fran’s difficulties, to understand why she took the actions that she did. 

The details of Fran’s home life were heart-breaking to read, especially the relationship between her and her younger brother, Johnny. I loved how the book let us know that these characters had faced troubled times, but slowly revealed it little by little as Fran had to deal with her memories whilst alone on the island. 

What I especially love about this book is that it doesn’t romanticise being trapped on a desert island. This is about real survival skills and a genuine fight for life. Fran’s journey throughout this book is a tremendously difficult one, and it’s not cute. The author brilliantly demonstrates exactly how rough and dangerous life on the island is. I loved Fran getting stronger and learning to do more to help her chances of survival. At first, she wallowed in self-pity and wasted resources, so seeing her change and start to fight for herself was empowering. 

Now I’m not going to name the other plane survivor (because spoilers), but they were utterly perfect. When they were introduced, the story took a little more of a light-hearted turn, which I felt was a much needed breather from Fran’s constantly desperate struggle. Obviously, it’s not all easy-living from there. It’s still two people trapped on a desert island and fighting to survive, but there is more humour and some exceptionally touching scenes, and I adored every moment that the two of them shared. From initially disliking each other, their bond of friendship grows beautifully strong, and it was great to see them finally open up to each other about their lives back home. 

The ending of this book, THE ENDING. Gosh, I’m still not over it. It’s an ending that leaves you wondering beyond that final page. Whilst in a perfect world, I’d be handed a firm conclusion about the fate of the characters and I’d get some closure, but the actual ending forces you to think about possible outcomes for yourself. 

Seriously, I can’t praise this book enough. It truly was a breath of fresh air. The Island is so different to a lot of the books I usually read and I’m thrilled that I got the chance to read it. This is a YA book that doesn’t rely on romance and typical teen clichés. This is a book about strength, determination, about finding courage when all hope is lost and facing up to the past. This is a truly beautiful debut from Olivia Levez, and it’s made me extremely excited for whatever she shares with us next. 

Royal Rating:

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REVIEW: The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson

Bookish Details:
Pages: 368 Hardcover
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Release Date: January 1st 2015
Buy it From: Amazon - Amazon UK - Waterstones

Synopsis:
Two boys. Two secrets.

David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he’s gay. The school bully thinks he’s a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth – David wants to be a girl.

On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal – to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in year eleven is definitely not part of that plan.

When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy. Because at Eden Park School secrets have a funny habit of not staying secret for long…

My Review:

This story follows David and Leo as they form an unlikely friendship after Leo transfers to Eden Park School. David was a girl born inside a boy’s body, and the only two people who know about it are his two best friends. He wants to tell his parents but doesn’t know how to. He assumes that they think he is is gay, and have been waiting for him to tell them so, but he doesn’t know how to explain to them that he’s not gay. He’s actually a straight girl.  

When the school’s bully gets hold of the notebook David uses to write about the changes happening to his body, Leo steps in to help. When the pair end up in detention together, they slowly start to get to know each other more.

Heart-warming, witty, and full of brilliant characters, I completely fell in love with The Art of Being Normal. The characters and events throughout the story are believable and beautifully written. Both protagonists had their own individual voice and personality, and the scenes between them were wonderful to read.

The character progression of both Leo and David was perfectly executed. I loved watching them grow throughout each chapter. This isn’t just a book about transgender issues; it’s about watching these characters develop and overcome their own personal problems and doubts.

I’m glad that David had his best friends, Essie and Felix, throughout the story. They were incredibly supportive of him, and it was good for him to have people to share everything with. Leo, on the other hand, is reserved to begin with and doesn’t have any desire to find close friends, so it was great seeing him slowly open up to David and finally learn that friendship isn’t a bad thing.

Leo’s story was fantastically written. Williamson has a great way of conveying the emotions that run through the minds of the characters and I feel she did this exceptionally well with Leo. When we finally find out what event happened in Leo’s past for him to have to move schools, I had to fight back the tears. It broke my heart, but it was so important to read.

There is a lot I would like to say about different parts of this book, but I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone! Just know that it now owns a little piece of my heart. As well as showing readers a glimpse at the struggles these characters have to face, this story is also packed with humour, hope, and beautiful moments that will stay with us long after the last page.

It’s also a fantastic example of good UKYA, and I can’t wait to see what else Lisa Williamson has in store. There was a lot of buzz online about this book before I read it, and now I see why. It’s a story that does live up to the hype. I’m excited to see more and more readers pick it up and fall in love with the characters as I did.

*I used male pronouns in regards to David in this review because they are used within the book.*

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#UKYADay: UKYA From My Teens

As you probably already know, today is UKYA Day, an event organised by the awesome Lucy from Queen of Contemporary, who has done so much to show her support for UKYA over the years.

And since we’re discussing all things UKYA, I just wanted to take a little time to reflect on why it’s been so important to me. We have so many UK authors and stories that we need to be celebrating, and over the past year, I’ve seen a lot more of them see success, and I couldn’t be happier!

But for today, I wanted to go back to a part of my bookshelf that gathers a little more dust than the rest, containing the books I’ve had for a long while. I wanted to remember some of the UKYA reads I discovered in my early teens, and why I loved them so much.

One of the first book series’ that I really remember relating to was the Confessions of Georgia Nicholson books by Louise Rennison. 

My first and final books of the series

I grew up with the series and Georgia still remains one of my all-time favourite characters today. The books perfectly captured the lives of British teenagers in a way not many other books could at the time, and I think that’s why I loved them so much. They the first stories I remember reading with my friends. Reading was normally something that I didn’t get to talk about all that much because none of my friends were readers, but this was the one series that we actually all loved. Oh, how we wanted (and tried) to be the Ace Gang, and go in search of our very own Sex Gods. This series helped me laugh my way through my awkward teenage years, and it’ll always stay close to my heart.

Also hanging around on my bookshelf was Voices by Sue Mayfield. Sue is an author whose books I remember always picking up in my high school library, but I very rarely see her books talked about now.

Voices is a contemporary story about a message in a bottle, and I completely fell in love with the idea of it. The characters and the plot are wonderful, and it’s a story I’ve gone back to read a few times over the years. It was originally published in 2003, but I’d love to see readers enjoying it now.

The other book I found whilst searching for the ghosts of UKYA past is Guitar Girl by Sarra Manning. 

Again, Sarra was an author I’d always seek out at the library, but Guitar Girl was and still is my favourite book by her. It’s a story of teens finding success in a band, but rock and roll fame it isn’t everything they pictured it to be. I remember flying through this book in a day because I couldn’t put it down. It comes with awesome characters and songs you wish were real.

So there is my nostalgic trip to UKYA times gone by. I love seeing the amount of awesome books coming out of Britain now and gaining popularity across the world. It shows just how much UKYA has managed to progress over the years. I vow to never again let some of my British books gather dust on a lonely shelf, because they really did help shape the reader I am today.

What have been your favourite UKYA reads of all time? What books do you wish more people would pick up? Let me know! Also, be sure to get involved with all the action on Twitter by using the #UKYADay hashtag!

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